Collar-holding device



Dec. 13, 1955 w, RUANE COLLAR-HOLDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 17, 1955 INVENTOR. GEORGE W RUANE P *y llm United States Patent COLLAR-HOLDING DEVICE George W. Ruane, Cincinnati, this Application September 17, 1953, Serial No. 388,769

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-132) This invention relates to a device for holding down and stretching a shirt collar point and to a shirt having collar points held down and stretched thereby.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which holds a shirt collar point flat and straight so that the collar point is unwrinkled.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device as above set forth that is provided with means for yieldingly stressing the collar point in tension.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for the above purposes which includes a pair of telescoping members provided with means for yieldingly urging them to extended position, whereby, when the device is attached to a shirt and collar point, the collar point is held down and in tension as well.

From the following description and the accompanying drawing, the above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art to which it pertains.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in front elevation showing a shirt with the collar thereof folded down in wearing position, the shirt being provided with collar point holddown devices constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the shirt with the collar in raised position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing one of the holddown tensioning devices;

Fig. 4 is a view in section taken on line IVIV in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken on line VV in Fig. 2.

In the following detailed description and the drawing, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In Figs. 1 and 2 is shown a shirt having a body and a collar 12. The collar may be of conventional form and is attached to the neckband 13 of the shirt along a fold line 14. Points 16 of the collar are provided with buttonholes 17. Each of the collar points is held down in stressed and unwrinkled condition by means of hold-down and tension devices 18, one for each collar point. Each device 18 is mounted in a retainer or slideway 19, and provided with means for attaching the same to its collar point. The attaching means illustrated is a button 20.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the retainer or slideway 19 is attached to the neckband and body of the shirt at the portion thereof covered by the collar point when the collar is in folded or wearing position. The slideway 9 includes a strip of cloth 22 sewn to the shirt body and to the neckband. The upper end 23 thereof is closed while the lower end is open.

Each hold-down and tensioning device 8 is received in its slideway 9. Each device 8 includes upper and lower telescoping members 24 and 26. The member 24 is slotted as indicated at 27 to receive a T-shaped tongue 28 attached to the telescoping member 26. Similarly, the telescoping member 26 is provided with a slot 29 for receiving a T-shaped tongue 31 attached to the lower end of the upper telescoping member 24. The T-shaped tongues hold the members 24 and 26 in telescoping relation. The upper end of member 24 is made blunt and rounded. It may be made so by securing a split cylindrical cap 32 thereto as shown. When the hold-down and tensioning device 18 is mounted on its slideway 19, the cap 32 abuts the closed upper end 23 of the slideway.

In order that there may be clearance between the button 20 and the lower end of member 26 to accommodate the thickness of the collar, the lower end of member 26 is provided with a raised portion or lug 34 to which button 20 is attached. The lug provides sufficient space between the button and member 26 to accommodate the thickness of the collar when the button is inserted through buttonhole 17.

The telescoping members are urged to extended position by a coil tension spring 36. As shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, the ends of spring 36 are attached to tongues 28 and 31. The length of the spring is such as to urge the telescoping members to an extended length that is greater than the length as measured from the closed end of slideway 19 to the buttonholes 17 (see Fig. 1).

When the buttons 20 are inserted through buttonholes 17 (Fig. 1), the hold-down and tensioning devices stress the collar points in tension and hold them down against the shirt body, so that a neat and attractive appearance results.

The construction of the collar point hold-down and tensioning device described above and illustrated in the drawing, is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a shirt having an attached collar provided with buttonholes adjacent the points thereof, a collar point hold-down and tensioning device which comprises a slideway attached to the body of the shirt behind each collar point, each slideway being closed at its upper end and open at its lower end, a collar point tensioning device removably received in each slideway, each tensioning device comprising telescoping members provided with spring means for urging the same to extended position, one of said telescoping members engaging the closed end of the slideway, and a button attached to the other of said telescoping members to be received in the buttonhole of the collar point associated therewith, whereby the collar point attached thereto is stressed in tension and held down on the shirt.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 characterized by the fact that the telescoping members are substantially flat, that a lug is provided on one side of the lower end of the other telescoping member, and that the button is attached to the lug.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 characterized by the fact that the spring is a tension spring attached to adjacent ends of the telescoping members, that the first telescoping member is shorter than the slideway and is housed inside the slideway, whereby the spring is entirely housed within the slideway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 594,180 Pugh Nov. 23, 1897 805,778 Cady Nov. 28, 1905 1,414,119 Feigenbaum Apr. 25, 1922 1,845,884 Marinsky Feb. 16, 1932 1,908,525 Manaster May 9, 1933 2,454,076 Marx et a1. Nov. 16, 1948 

